To War
by KitsuneCagalli
Summary: Sakura's not afraid to take on the war. But she needs to have a conversation with her team, especially with Sasuke. A final promise before the end. A quick SasuSaku drabble based on the most recent Naruto chapter, 677. SasuSakuNaru if you squint. Mostly Team Seven and SasuSaku though. Chapter 2 Sequel up (heavy SasuSaku). After the war, Sakura and Sasuke have their "chat".
1. To War

In honor of Chapter 677, a quick drabble~

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, or his lovely art, but I can write fanfiction for it :DD

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**To War**

_A SasuSaku Drabble_

It was so hard to concentrate. The pressure inside of Susanoo was a bubble of heat and energy that was reflective of the fire and power that burned within the raven haired member of her team. He was breathing heavily with exertion from his quick thinking save, but she couldn't focus on anything less than the conversation he was exchanging with her blonde best friend.

The situation outside their protective barrier was dire and in this moment, Sakura had absolutely no idea how to remedy their battle against Madara. The sheer willpower it took to confront the ancient Uchiha was stressful enough with its fail, but being virtually powerless to stop him decimating the world was straining her thoughts. Sakura wanted nothing more than to curl up alone and cry the frustrations out of her system, before finding a solution to their situation. But she couldn't, _wouldn't_, cry right now. She was a disciple of the Fifth Hokage, a seasoned warrior, a member of the indestructible, albeit unconventional, team seven. This was not the time and she would not—

A hand slid up onto her lower back and brought her closer to the conversation that was being shared by her boys. Light as a feather, she was pulled into the circle of strength and Sakura found her clearness of mind returned. His eyes were directed only to Naruto, but Sasuke's hands were grasping them firmly to him, his right on her back and his left on Naruto's arm. She would have contemplated the strange bonding action from her Uchiha teammate in that moment had the suddenness of the aura of sheer peacefulness surrounding her not occurred. _The power of the Sage of Six Paths_. Sakura somehow could recognize its effect as it was supposed to feel, so contrary to the power exploited by their enemy.

And it was clearly emanating from the pair, forming a sort of shield to anything that would cause distress. It was … unbelievable. Unnerving. Where did this come from? Was this why they maintained their calm and resolve? Was the source of their ability to succeed locked away within the power of the Six Paths they both harnessed?

"Sakura-chan?" She zoned onto the cross slitted golden eyes watching her in worry just an arms length away, the energy somehow making her feel his anxiety internally more so than seeing it upon his features. He was molten gold and full of the love she knew they shared, but it was painful to see that she had, yet again, become a burden. "Sakura-chan, you don't have to worry. Sasuke and I will keep you and Kakashi-sensei safe, don't worry." There it was. He was worried because he thought she was scared. That she couldn't handle the situation in her state. Always a burden.

"Naruto, I'm not—"

"She's fine." The hard words that overrode her own caused her head to flip to the left and stare at the mismatched eyes of her wayward teammate. Red and purple closely observed her with an easiness she hadn't recalled since their genin days. There was no judgement or disappointment in his gaze, as far as she could read. In fact she could, in the manner with which she felt Naruto's concern, feel the Uchiha's understanding and approval of her presence. It was as if he understood that mentally she was processing the situation and not fretting in fear. How pleasantly unfamiliar yet welcome this look was, the pinkette thought.

"Sakura, this genjutsu …" As always, his sentences were incomplete but the medic nin knew what he was trying to get across.

"Is impervious by normal means. But you can see, can't you Sasuke-kun? You can see passed the genjutsu because you've been in a total eclipsing one before." The tucked away memories flooded her system at the mention of the past. _Akatsuki. Itachi. Mangekyou Sharingan. Hospital. Apples. Hatred. Pain. Revenge. Tears. Goodbye_. She kept a steady face as she leaned into his supporting hand still pressed against her lower back. He did not pull away.

"I'm not sure. This is … different." For a moment, Sakura was sure he was going to become enraged at the thought of his brother but the Uchiha continued to scan her features with his terrifying and familiar gaze. He was beyond his revenge now. The world was uncertain in its survival and Sakura herself could feel the futility of their past. Everything up until this moment had been child's play and selfish intentions for all parties involved. The only thing that remained was to stop Madara and worry about their lives later.

"So what can we do? At the moment, we are stuck inside your Susanoo with little leeway for standing against Madara." Her sensei was suddenly inside their bubble, still leaning over them but not quite as tall as when they'd been children. To be honest, Sakura had forgotten his presence amidst the concern and reassurance from her two teammates. But she was certainly glad for his level-headed input as they planned their next move.

"We have to get to Madara." Naruto, silent until now, glanced around the three of them slowly. He had probably been speaking with the kyuubi as was often the case when his quietness prevailed, and had come across the answer to something. "We stop Madara, the genjutsu breaks. That gives us an opportunity to take him out." For a moment Sakura was processing her own theories on combating the ancient Uchiha, but her reaction to Naruto's words was voiced by another, less eloquent member.

"No shit. You thought we were going to sit in here forever?" The pinkette, though in complete agreement with the obvious words, felt herself bristle at Sasuke's attitude. Naruto wasn't the brightest, but his point was valid. What else were they supposed to think about?

"No asshole, I was making a plan!" the blonde retorted, ripping his arm loose from his best friend's grip and trying to knock him in the head. One moment the medic nin was internally scolding the Uchiha, the next she was rebuking the Uzumaki for his immaturity. Weren't there better ways to decide a course of action?

"Restating the obvious isn't making a plan," was the pointed reply. He caught the hand waving precariously close his head and removed the hand that had been keeping her close to aim his own light punch at the shorter male. Naruto had mimicked his receiving action, however, and now the two were interlocked in a glaring match with raised fists and grasping fingers. Somewhere near her, but further than before, their teacher sighed with a heavy "_maa, maa_" to express his discontent. Sakura was a bit flabbergasted. They were at _WAR_ and all these two could do was argue about stupid comments?

"Enough!" She caught a pair of their hands and separated their bodies by physically planting her own between them with her enhanced strength. There was enough space for them to grasp each other if they tried, but their antagonism died down the moment she furiously pierced their eyes back and forth. Golden crosses and swirls of red and purple warily observed her as she huffed at them.

"Naruto's right that we need to get to Madara and stop him somehow, but Sasuke is right that we can't sit here forever and attack from within Susanoo. The staffs of the Sage weren't enough, so we'll need something like a binding or sealing jutsu to contain Madara." Her mind was pulling out a strategy as she spoke, wondering how they could manage such a feat. As she spoke, her hands that were latched onto Naruto's left arm and Sasuke's right fell to her sides until she had slid her grip around their fingers. They watched her think as the air took a turn back toward the serenity she had been engulfed in earlier. Naruto laced his fingers in her own to reassure her that he was listening, and Sasuke didn't pull his fingers free as she had expected him to.

"If only Minato-sensei was here. He was exceptional at sealing jutsus." Kakashi was staring up at the dome of purple surrounding them as he voiced his thoughts, present in the situation and yet far away.

"Yeah, but Dad's probably out there, under the genjutsu too right? Just like Hinata … and the others …" the questioning tone of her best friend replied. Sakura only needed to glance at him to know he was concerned. Oh what she would do to give him some reassurance that all would be well soon. The only comfort she could respond with was the grip to his fingers. He glanced to their connect hands and gave a small smile.

"Most likely. The only safe place is here right now." Sasuke morosely quipped, knowing that a nonverbal communication was occurring between his two teammates. In that moment he tried to free himself, but the pinkette held tight and looked to him with a sadness that paused his actions.

"But to face Madara we have to go out there," Kakashi echoed out.

"So … we need a distraction," Sakura quietly realized. "We need to fight off Madara, distract his focus from the Tsukuyomi until we can awaken the Fourth, get him over and seal him."

"But Dad's lost his arms. He can't seal without them." And the light at the end of the tunnel vanished. A ninja without arms was useless when concerning this sort of thing. Orochimaru had been a prime example of that. Without Kabuto, the Sannin would never have been capable of—

"Then he'll use me." The reaction would have been comical had they not been discussing the world's future. Naruto's confusion left him open mouthed and stuttering, while Kakashi's eyebrows jumped into his hairline. Even Sasuke had narrowed his gaze as he was about to object. Now was not the time though. "If I can't find any spare arms to re-attach to his body, then he'll just have to use me to do it. I've trained in sealing techniques with Tsunade-sama. I'm not the best, but I did rank high when taking my practice Jonin practical."

"Sakura-chan, no!" Her connection to both her boys' hands loosened as the blonde turned to pull her to him between his arms, gripping her shoulders. "It's too dangerous and if you go near Madara, he'll tear you in half!"

"And I'll regenerate," she insinuated as she flicked her bangs away from the markings she sported. "Besides, you'll watch my back, you always have. I trust you to take care of Madara." For a moment she was only watching Naruto, her knuckle-headed but sweet and kind childhood partner, before two smoldering eyes popped into her mind's eye. "Both of you," she amended, taking a glance around to Sasuke who was watching their exchange with furrowed brows and a frown. "Sasuke can use his Rinnegan to battle Madara despite the Tsukuyomi and Naruto, you can feel Madara and fight him blind. You're more than capable."

"And I'll cover Sakura while we hunt for the Fourth." Kakashi was watching them all with admiration, completely believing in this impossible mission they were set out to do together. Sakura couldn't have felt more relieved that he had her back right now. " It's a pretty good plan, at this point. We don't have any other options and the strain of Susanoo and the Strength of a Hundred technique is going to wear out Sasuke and Sakura soon, Naruto. We have to think logically and use our resources carefully."

"Kakashi's right. And as long as you don't look to the moon, you'll be okay." The raven haired ninja's tone left no room for nonsense. They were going to go with this craziness after all. Sakura gently detached herself from Naruto's arms so she could face them both, but moved away enough to see them without having to flick her head back and forth. "I'll give you each a share of Susanoo's chakra to keep you protected from the genjutsu above you," he added in a flat, determined tone that was classic of his vocalizations. Sakura had the image of a purple haze cloud above her head and would have laughed at the image had the blonde's genuine concerns not overridden her momentary humor.

"But Sasuke, you'll be weakened!" Naruto yelled in a panic immediately and Sasuke's exacerbated face was reminiscent of their childhood. The unintentional smile crawling up Sakura's face was pure affection.

"My stamina isn't that low, idiot. Besides, that old man's power is mine to use too. I can do it." The smugness of his tone wasn't missed but all of team seven forwent reprimand. There was no question that the Uchiha was on par with Naruto in terms of strength now, and once the real fighting started up again, there would be no room for jibes and gloating.

"Alright then, a good plan and teamwork. Let's get this right kids. We might not get a second chance." At Kakashi's words they all gave their signs of approval and collectively started shuffling. Naruto was pumping his fists and rolling his shoulder while their dark haired teammate closed his eyes and took a calming breath. Kakashi ambled over, patting the two male teens' heads on his way over to her before speaking to Naruto in a hushed tone. Sakura was ascertaining her chakra reserves and consolidating memories of sealing jutsus when the chakra she'd know miles away was instantly within inches of her. She saw the zipped white top before her and raised her eyes to meet with a single red Sharingan and single purple Rinnegan.

"Sasuke-kun?" she automatically whispered. He was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of him again. The smoldering nature of his Susanoo was unavoidable but the calmness of his Six Paths power balanced it out.

"Sakura …" He was hesitant with his tone but she saw he was struggling to get something off his chest. In all honesty, she was sure there were a million things he needed to get off his chest, and she had double that to tell him, but she would not pressure him in any way. The results of that kind of pressure had an adverse effect on the Uchiha and she didn't want to move backwards here. They were finally together as a team again.

"Sasuke-kun, you … don't have to say anything you know." She decided to reply after an extended silence and the toiling within his mismatched eyes. "When this is all over, we can say everything that we have to say. With no time limit or restriction." She smiled with a sad heart, wanted to tell him so much more. It was not the time though. There needed to be no more burden from her on his shoulders. "Just, stay alive Sasuke-kun. I need you to stay alive until then."

Tears were brimming at the corners of her eyes. She was not supposed to cry in front of him again. No. And yet, she couldn't stop herself. In the last moments of her safety they came full force and she had to look down or risk the blaze in his eyes from engulfing her whole. But as the tears glazed her cheeks in a stream, her body refused her and shot forward to catch the raven haired male in a painful hug, rubbing her nose into his chest. He smelled of sweat and blood, of fire and old linen, but the scent comforted her much as the soothing power within him did. It was such a _Sasuke_ smell that nothing else could compare to her faded memories of his scent in their childhood. But when two stiff arms rose to grasp her gently as she cried quietly to him, Sakura was preparing to be berated and insulted. Of course he'd despise her clinging to him like a little girl. He didn't care about her feelings and her need to save him. He was an Uchiha, a man of his own strength and volition. She meant nothing to him anymore.

But the arms did not push her away. They reached around to envelope her in an awkward manner, and Sakura forced her eyes open as she saw the weaving the made up his shirt. Was … was Sasuke returning her hug?

"Sakura. You're still," she held her breath as she felt him inhale, "annoying." The liquid stopped pouring from her eyes. She couldn't quite process what he had said to her with trademark exacerbation and the smallest hint humor. Her actions weren't disgusting to him? He was … Annoyed?

"Thank you." This time the words were whispered close to her head and a memory of the past came to hit her full force. Those same words, in a different lifetime ages ago. She gripped the back of his shirt with her fingers, twisting the fabric and hoping to the powers above that she wasn't somehow already trapped within Madara's genjutsu.

"I'll stay alive," he breathed down into her hair, and she was sure even Naruto and Kakashi's ninja hearing wouldn't be able to pick out the murmurs he was sharing with her. If not for the fact that he was speaking to her, Sakura wouldn't have heard it either. "But you _must_ stay alive too. And then we'll speak." For a moment their breathing was in sync and Sakura felt Sasuke's slow beating heart lull her into a trance. The promise, although not outwardly expressed, was there. They would speak after this was all over. He swore it to her. Nodding her head minutely, she didn't care anymore how much of a trainwreck her face was. The only thing that mattered was this new promise to speak in the future. Sasuke and Sakura. An overdue conversation for two.

She pulled away from his chest and braved a glance to the left where her other two teammates remained. Both had passive gazes that said they would not interrupt what was transpiring. In this instance they were respecting the relationship their fellow members shared. And the medic nin couldn't have been more grateful.

She smiled hopefully at the man before her. "Then we'll speak. It's a promise." _And I'll tell you, even if you don't feel the same, how much I still love you._

"Aah." They pulled apart to a respectable distance and Sakura brushed the back of her hand across her eyes. She's cried for the future and she would cry no more until the battle was over. This was not a promise she'd fail.

Assuming all that was necessary had been exchanged, Naruto and Kakashi, an aura of flowing molten gold and worn out gray and green, came over to them. It was time to take out their enemy. Standing beside her teacher with her renewed vigor, Sakura watched as the Susanoo broke apart into four smaller sections at Sasuke's control, a cloudy haze that prevented the light that was suddenly speckling the ground from touching each member of team seven. The air returned to the smell of charred stone and blood and dirtiness, and unlike the stifling presence of Susanoo its former glory, the smaller barrier keeping them safe was nothing more that a bubble above each of their heads.

"Yosh! Let's go Sasuke!" Naruto announced heartily as he turned his back to them to prepare for their final confrontation. Sakura couldn't help her last words to them in the heat of the excitement as they prepared to jump into a fray of life and death.

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!" They both glanced back at her in wary confusion, but she merely gave them a thumbs up and said, "Kick Madara's ass!" An affirmative shout and agreeable grunt were here immediate replies.

"Knock 'em dead Sakura-chan!" the blonde screamed as he vanished.

"Sakura … stay alive!" Though the words were plain enough, the pinkette's heartstrings were tugged as she nodded to his disappearing form.

"I will," she quietly retorted and Kakashi smiled through his mask at her and brushed his hand affectionately through her matted pink locks. It was time to get this mission started and help her boys out as best she could to save the world.

"Let's go Sakura."

"Right." This fight would end in their favor. And they would win. Team seven would make sure of it.

=(Fin)=

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Excuse me, but this wrote itself, yes it did~ Idgaf if haters gonna hate me or whatever, TEAM SEVEN AND SASUSAKU FOREVER! And yes, I was one of those people who was like, "Is Sasuke hanging on to his bae Naru by the arm and Saku bae from behind? KISHI, MOVE THE DAMN SPEECH BUBBLE!" Anywho, read the drabble if you feel like it, and note since I am, in fact, not Kishimoto-sensei, I took liberties with stuff~ Yeah …


	2. Aftermath

Some lovely reviewers asked me to write a sequel to To War and I guess my muse was nice enough to comply LOL. It's not exactly the flow I wanted, but the message came across so done and done. Anyway, hope you enjoy it, requesters! But be warned, I DID NOT EDIT THIS LOL!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, I'd be really bad at plots and all my stories would end up being fluffy romantic crap lol :DD Thank goodness we have Kishimoto -sensei writing the series and not me~

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**Aftermath**

_A SasuSaku Drabble_

"You're such a FUCKING bastard!" she screamed as her fist collided with his face, causing a sickening crack. Then there was another. And then a third. "I hate you!"

He didn't move beneath her except for the momentum from the impacts of her punches as his head dug further into the crumbled earth beneath them. She didn't even pin him down seriously, her legs merely straddling his waist but leaving his spread arms free to defend himself. He was as prone as the dead, though, fingers curled up to an almost fist that laid exposed, while his once handsome features pooled in the red of his own spoiled blood. The familiar scent of copper was infused into the immediate space around them and for a small moment the pink haired kunoichi relished in the appetizing stench like a hungry beast. The slickness of her knuckles from the sticky red liquid was getting more viscose with every hit, but her mind wasn't even processing the damage she was inflicting. Her thoughts were centered solely on the cause of her demented anger and the heartache that brought it about. There was nothing she could do but focus on her clenched chest squeezing tighter as every breath from her apathetic victim grew more shallow. At this rate, she would actually kill him.

There were continuous shouts for her to stop from all around but there was no one foolish enough to try to reach her. Or at least anyone that hadn't already tried. Her best friend laying meters away was evidence of that, most likely with a dislocated jaw and a few broken ribs that her fellow kunoichi of the Yamanaka clan was healing. There was also the gently whimpering Akamaru, overshadowed by the profane language of the Inuzuka male she was friends with. The animal was certain to have broken limbs from the impact of her hits when he tried to control her rage during her initial onslaught. And the silent presence of the Hyuuga heiress who'd been on the unfortunate end of her high kick when Naruto had latched onto her in a desperate attempt to control her anger quietly sat near her blonde teammate watching the medical ninja in sadness.

Somewhere in the depths of her rationale, the pinkette knew that a heavy apology would have to be given to Hinata and the others, but at the moment Sakura could say she didn't give a rat's ass who became a victim of her wrath and tuned their noise out. The only person that mattered was beneath her in a mess of mudded clothing and blood and crushed bones, motionless save for the wisps of breath rattling from his swollen mouth.

His infamous eyes, stolen and yet given, were swollen shut and his typically perfect features were unrecognizable with the monstrosity her strength created. His body wasn't in much better condition either, if she were to be honest. To take the Uchiha down, Sakura took out her friends in equal turns before using her enhanced strength to break her dark haired teammate's left leg and landed a roundhouse kick to his chest for an effortless flooring. When he didn't show an inkling of putting up a fight, the medical ninja lost all sense and pummeled him from every possible point before settling on his face and creating the mayhem as it currently was. And now as her emotions dissipated into her dejection, Sakura let the sobbing out in time with her slowed whacks.

He had made her so furious with his arrogant attitude and his dangerous actions, risking his and Naruto's lives far more than was necessary as they battled in this horrible war. His painful words and dismissal of her strength all her life as well as the ungratefulness behind his actions were brought to surface. All the wrongs he'd brought upon the innocent and the guilty alike, the selfishness of his life and the greed he held for power, the craving of twisted justice and the _hate_ he possessed; it all overshadowed the Sasuke she knew and protected within her heart in one instant. The medic unleashed her frustrations upon him physically as her mental state tried to catch up, but it was finally here, Sakura realized, as she screamed her agony out for all of the ninja world to hear.

"I HATE YOU," her words echoed out into their battlefield, hoarse and vengeful. Her fist slammed into his sternum with a thud as her words poured out of her. She vaguely registered the cracking sound that emanated. "You are a horrible human being! A fucking disgrace to everyone you know! Especially your cursed family!" At this point she realized her words were spiteful and unfair to the dead, but she would not curb her voice. There had been far too many moments where the pinkette chose that unsuccessful path.

"You disgrace even them! You are scum, do you hear me Sasuke-kun?! SCUM!" she continued, but with less ferocity and resolve from moments before. Sakura had, after all, just come from an extended fight and the use of her Strength of a Hundred technique; and then she threw all her energies into destroying the one person she spent her life protecting and loving. The medical ninja should have realized all this exertion would take its toll on her chakra reserves. But she would not refuse her retribution, not yet.

" You . . . you," she stuttered as her eyes welled up with the tears of hate and love that consumed her and her head fell forward to rest on the broken chest between her stilled hands. ". . . monster," is her whispered insult, allowing whatever dirtiness was present to mix onto her face along with her tears.

"Y-yes," she heard rumbled from above her head, though the words were barely there. She lifted her pink head a fraction to see bleeding lips fish mouthing repeatedly and Sakura realized the raven haired Uchiha was trying to respond to her. Unsuccessful sputters and wheezes resulted and for another moment of animalistic pleasure Sakura admired the struggle her teammate was suffering with. He deserved every second of pain he succumbed to, and it would be enough if he died, she pondered sadistically.

_No Sakura_, were the words her mind suddenly reminded. This was Sasuke Uchiha, the boy who protected her weakness before his hatred took him. The person who drove her to grow up and become the woman she proudly was now. The only ninja who refused to baby her and never gave her the opportunity to be weak by choice. The only person her heart ever beat for and the only one she would ever seek out. He had murdered and destroyed and turned to the darkness, but Sakura would not abandon him. Even if she hated him from the bottom of her heart, there was always a layer below that loved him more. And she felt this inescapable dichotomy clamp her to the truth as her eyes followed the struggling hisses of air that were supposed to be words.

"I-I'm . . . a . . . mo-mon . . . st . . . er," she managed pick out from the garble and the pinkette bit her lip in frustration. Did she even care what he had to say at this point? Would he beg for her mercy to end his life when he was so close to death? Or would he play upon her kindness, asking for forgiveness? Sakura wasn't sure if she'd willingly give him either option.

But even a dying man, should that be his ultimate fate, deserved the last words of life so Sakura pulled her tearstained face from his grime and gave him a weak glare. Her hands took on their familiar green hue and she allowed her already drained chakra to travel past the battered skin and deep into the bone of his chest to reconstruct the sternum and crushed muscles she had inflicted. The rattled hiss of his breath was a sure sign of a dying man and dying men could tell no tales. The process was slower than she was accustomed to as she focused her energies into the action, but she completed the task and moved onto his face where the damage was exceptionally severe.

It was a miracle words could come out of his mouth altogether, she thought with a bit of admiration. He shouldn't be able to squeeze an ounce of motion out from his body, she realized as his fractured jaw began to mend and his skin was morphing from a red coating to the pale and chiseled face she'd always admired. His shut eyes were losing their purple and crimson swells as her hands brushed over them and before long, there were just a few deep lacerations remaining on him that she felt no obligation to heal. After all, she was not here to make him well, but decent enough to speak.

Retracting herself, Sakura rested herself on his torso and watched him with deep concentration and a little of her returning fury. Looking at him back to a somewhat normal state made her want to beat him black and blue all over again. Maybe she would.

"Well?" she spit out, trying to implying her impatience outwardly. He had his eyes closed and was still spread eagle beneath her, but there was no sound of death surrounding his breathing now, and the kunoichi knew that he was in decent condition.

"You hit . . . really hard," were the words acknowledging her and somehow Sakura couldn't control the brief guffaw that escaped her lips. Hell yeah she could hit hard. But besides that momentary comradery, she continued to observe him with careful eyes, expecting more.

"Sakura," he breathed out, cracking open the mismatched eyes to watch her steadily. He never wavered when confronting danger, but Sakura felt he owed her more than that; he owed her his truth, his emotions, his sincere regret and redemption. Not just a uninterpretable mumble of her name.

"I'm . . . sorry." The apology was like a bee sting, probing her in the most acute and painful depths of her heart. She'd wanted so terribly to hear those words when she had been twelve. When her unwavering faith in Naruto was the only salvation a weak kunoichi like herself could muster. When she truly believed that he'd bring the Uchiha back to her side, battered and maybe upset, but apologetic for his choice. When she'd heard the unspeakable duty to destroy him from their deranged temporary Hokage, and her feeble attempts to return him from the darkness. In those circumstances, she would accept his _sorry_. But they were beyond that. Madara and Kaguya, their friends and allies nearly getting turned into mindless zombies, the earth beneath their feet shattering into oblivion had all uprooted what a simply _sorry_ could request.

"You're sorry?" her trembling voice breathed out. She shook her head in disbelief as tears cascaded down her dirtied cheeks, anger pooling in her weary belly. "You're _sorry_?" was the reinteration when he made no move to acknowledge her venomous words. His eyes were focused solely on her, as the shouts that surrounded the battlefield were quieted. His mismatched eyes burned into her soul like she imagined an amaterasu would, though there was no jutsu affecting her. But the pain was what she presumed it to feel like.

"Do you think that is enough? Do you _really_ think that is enough?!" Unable to control herself, her fist land against his cheek, and again she was met with no resistance. This antagonized her emotions more and she couldn't contain herself. Why did he have to be so _heartless_? Was sorry nothing more than a word of manners told to those they wished to pacify? Did the promise of restitution die as willingly as the roar of their battle not long ago faught?

"Damn you, Sasuke-kun! Damn you!" she screamed in agony, heart being shattered on all sides. Every time he did this, a small act of redemption, it appeared meaningless and insincere. He was playing games with her weaknesses, and she saw no means of combating this deficiency.

"Why won't you fight back?!" she continued with her renewed physical onslaught, which wasn't nearly as damaging as it had been the first time. There was no drive to pound him into oblivion now, only the darkness engulfing her own feelings and leeching away her minimal strength.

He grabbed her arms after a moment and she instinctively stilled within his grasp. She didn't look at him, but felt the Uchiha tensing his grip trying to get her to respond. She ignored his prompt, just as he had ignored her so many times before in her life. There would be no more concessions from the pink haired warrior. She had had enough.

"Sakura," he called to her, set on having her attention all to himself. It had always been that way, but the kunoichi did not want to fall back into that routine. She wanted to be above and beyond his control over her dedication and love. "I won't fight you."

Her gaze was focused on the crumbled pebbles beside his neck, but she could not rope in her eye-widened expression. "Never again," he firmly declared, hands on her covered arms tightening minutely.

"What do you mean you won't fight me?" she bristled. Was he once again deconstructing her into nothing more than a useless ally? Was this mockery of her prowess and training? As these musings filtered through her mind, the open viridian eyes squinted to hold back the pained tears. Why was she never good enough? Why did Sasuke deem it necessary to always destroy her in the gentlest of ways? The turmoil was that much more potent because of his disbelief in her. It was more damage than any ninja skill could create.

"I won't. . .You are too," here the words stuck in Sasuke's throat. Sakura could tell from the way his adam's apple bounced in her peripheral vision. "precious." It took her almost a minute of tense silence to absorb his words. The Uchiha's entire comment made no sense to her mind. When he observed her lack of response, the missing nin furthered his statement in an uncharacteristic show of patience.

"I never want those dear to me to be hurt again." This time she was forced to look back to him. The way the raven haired ninja mumbled that sentence to her, steady but just barely heartbroken, could not be overlooked. She saw, for the first time since their meeting at the summit's bridge, that same anguish of losing the Uchiha family so important to him. Except he didn't refer to their passing and the bitterness that drove him to insanity because of it. He referred to those he cherished now, the only people who ever fought for him despite his darkness, team seven. He was, in this instance, referring to _her_. It was obvious in the eyes that were back to polished onyx. Sasuke's real eyes.

"I'm sorry I had to take you down my path." The Uchiha was speaking in quieter intonations reminiscent of their genin days. The times when she'd been his companion hungering for acknowledgement and needed a patient presence. These were the sort of words that brought back the feelings of love, and it made it harder for the medic to see his folly. It pained her heart physically, and she fell a fraction of an inch closer to him. "I tried not to," he soothed similar to how he used to when her moods were uncertain in childhood, "But you were annoyingly devoted to following me. I didn't want any of this for you." And she knew his meaning was true. He watched her with weary black eyes, swirling with a hint of regret and longing.

He brushed a loose strand of pink from her cheek with a tenderness that should not come from hands so bathed in bloodshed and evil. It was unreal, how he pretended not to care and yet gave her the desperation she craved in her adoration. It made her question everything that had built up to this moment, Sasuke lying amongst rubble at her mercy, and Sakura filled with hate and deliberately searching for reasons to give it him.

"I deserve ever hit you give me. It's my sorry to you." Their exchange was for their ears only, despite the audience that had settled into watching them play their game. It was as if every single person in the world, as close as the wreckage of the final outcome or as far as the swirling oceans beyond the land of waves, did not exist. The only thing that mattered was Sasuke and his dark eyes and the fingers brushing her cheek in a slow, repetitive motion. "I will not fight you."

"You're so unfair," she squeaked, tears tainting her features. It was pure injustice the way his resolve crumbled her own when she'd been so set to hold on her personal revenge towards him. But Sakura understood her heart was not filled with those follies. Her heart was more oriented towards the kindness and forgiveness of others naturally. And the pink haired kunoichi understood that since she was tempered like this, she could never hate him, never let him go.

"Why couldn't you have just stayed by my side?" she choked out, reaching her own weary limb to him, his cheek cradled in her palm. If only he'd vouched to not fight against her then, when it could have saved them all. They wouldn't be two battered souls now holding on for something that wasn't meant to exist.

"Why couldn't you have let me help you?" she pleaded, seeing the uncomfortable wetness on her chin fall in droplets onto Sasuke's exposed features. Her blurring eyes and fatigue were making the world dizzy. "I could have saved you." And deep in her heart, if given the chance, she was sure the Uchiha knew she could have too. It was evident in the way his eyes, the most expressive part of him, narrowed at her in melancholy.

"No." The hand reaching up to her stilled and she felt his thumb rub underneath her eye. "You could only save yourself." There were a million denials on her lips, almost as many as her endless stream of tears. Sakura Haruno knew that, yes in fact, she had no real capability of saving him in the past. It was not her destiny to do so, she mentally conceded. "And you did."

"What?" she questioned uncertainly. It was unusual for her stoic teammate to reassure her of her advancement. It had been the issue she'd been upset about to begin with, the cause of her rage and attack earlier. Yet here was Sasuke Uchiha, battered and weary beneath her after a war, encouraging her of a success. Her shortcomings from the past and his abandonment created a drive of incomparable level, and she utilized it to be where she was today. No longer a girl of low caliber, she was a warrior and a healer and a wonderful ninja. The raven haired male acknowledged that she _had saved_ _herself_, and now, her fate was left in her own power. A power that could, if she chose, save Sasuke.

"You saved yourself from me. I'm proud you did." They were words that left her drowning in exhaustion. They were impossible. She was trapped in a genjutsu. There was no possible explanation for the confidence and sympathy she had just come to hear. And yet there was Sasuke, the Sasuke she grew up with and admired, gazing at her with the fondness she'd always pined for. And it was what broke her inside all over again. She slumped onto his form from the overexertion and curled onto him as she spoke.

"And yet you've broken me on the inside." He watched the top of her head with furrowed brows as she hushed her mouth from saying more. Then Sakura decided she'd had enough with controlling her emotions. He obviously waited to share this and she had no more face to lose. He had broken her more than the deaths of close comrades, the war in its entirety, and the impossible first heartbreak had. Truly, in this moment, Sakura felt she was lost. "I'm irreparable," she mewled into his chest, strength both physically and mentally gone.

"No." She felt his fingers run up her arm to her face and tilted her chin toward him so they shared eye contact.

"I'll fix you," he promised with set determination. It was reminiscent of her own promises to Naruto lifetimes ago, swearing to bring their wayward friend home. Sasuke Uchiha now ironically carried that will of fire that she had finally abandoned. She wondered momentarily if he would be able to fix her merely with his resolve, and when he painstakingly dragged her limp body upward by her arms so that they laid chest to chest, faces almost touching, she saw the glimmer of the future. His breath fanned over her lips before he tilted his head the fractional distance to kiss her.

"And you'll fix me," he whispered when he pulled away, tone absolutely confident. Sakura could believe that they would.

=====(Fin)=====

* * *

So sorry for the depressive tones. It just seems like it'll happen similar to this in the manga. It's one of my headcanons: Sakura being broken by the thing she's always wanted most in the world, Sasuke and his admiration/acknowledgement.


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